Sylvia Poggiolihttp://mtpr.org
enPope's Missive On Environment, Poverty Could Affect Habits Of Millionshttp://mtpr.org/post/popes-missive-environment-poverty-could-affect-habits-millions
In April this year, on Earth Day, Pope Francis urged everyone to see the world through the eyes of God, as a garden to cultivate.<p>"May the way people treat the Earth not be guided by greed, manipulation, and exploitation, but rather may it preserve the divine harmony between creatures and creation, also in the service of future generations," he said.<p>On Thursday, the Vatican will release the pontiff's hotly anticipated encyclical on the environment and poverty. The rollout of the teaching document has been timed to have maximum impact ahead of the U.N.Tue, 16 Jun 2015 09:11:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli35837 at http://mtpr.orgPope's Missive On Environment, Poverty Could Affect Habits Of MillionsAt World's Fair In Italy, The Future Of Food Is On The Tablehttp://mtpr.org/post/worlds-fair-italy-future-food-table
For the next six months, Italy is hosting a dinner party — and the entire world is invited to attend.<p>The event, called <a href="http://www.expo2015.org/en">Expo Milano 2015</a>, is the latest World's Fair. This year's theme is "feeding the planet, energy for life." The global population is projected to pass 9 billion by 2050, and Expo organizers want to start a global conversation now about sustainability, biodiversity and food security.<p>With exhibits from 145 countries over a 12-million-square-foot area, the expo is a showcase for the many cultures of food and environmental technology.Sun, 31 May 2015 11:35:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli35228 at http://mtpr.orgAt World's Fair In Italy, The Future Of Food Is On The TableItaly's Berlusconi Discovers Social Media As A Campaign Toolhttp://mtpr.org/post/italys-berlusconi-discovers-social-media-campaign-tool
Italy holds regional elections Sunday, and one politician trying to make a comeback is the scandal-plagued former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.<p>Taking his cue from Italy's digitally savvy young Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Berlusconi has opened an Instagram account, posting more than 60 photos on the first day alone.<p>We see the 78-year-old media tycoon holding trophies of his soccer team, A.C.Tue, 26 May 2015 12:25:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli35037 at http://mtpr.orgItaly's Berlusconi Discovers Social Media As A Campaign ToolRome's Cinematic 'Dream Factory' Ramps Up Production Once Againhttp://mtpr.org/post/romes-cinematic-dream-factory-ramps-production-once-again
It's just 15 miles south of Rome, but it looks more like ancient Jerusalem.<p>Welcome to the vast backlot at <a href="http://cinecittastudios.it/en">Cinecittà,</a> the sprawling movie metropolis where <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2011/09/27/140848509/dvd-picks-ben-hur">the original </a><em><a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2011/09/27/140848509/dvd-picks-ben-hur">Ben-Hur</a> </em>was filmed, and a remake is currently in production.<p>In the 1950s and '60s, Cinecittà, or Cinema City, was known as "Hollywood on the Tiber," famed for the swords-and-sandals epics as wThu, 21 May 2015 16:36:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli34884 at http://mtpr.orgRome's Cinematic 'Dream Factory' Ramps Up Production Once AgainRelentless Flow Of Migrants Causes Alarm In Italyhttp://mtpr.org/post/relentless-flow-migrants-causes-alarm-italy
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Relentless+Flow+Of+Migrants+Causes+Alarm+In+Italy&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAyMTYxNzk1MDEyOTc4NzE4ODM0ZDA2YQ001)"/></div><p>Tue, 05 May 2015 09:02:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli34232 at http://mtpr.orgFor Europe-Bound Migrants, Desperation Outweighs Riskshttp://mtpr.org/post/europe-bound-migrants-desperation-outweighs-risks
After a two-month wait in Libya, Hassan Silla, a 35-year-old from Sierra Leone, made the sea crossing from northern Africa to southern Italy on a smuggler's boat last February.<p>As one of 76 migrants on a 12-meter-long inflatable dinghy, Silla knew exactly what the risks were. Lawlessness and chaos have gripped Libya, and Silla says migrants from sub-Saharan Africa are the most vulnerable.<p>While waiting to make the crossing, he lost his best friend.<p>"They tried to attack him, to take his money," Silla recalls.Mon, 27 Apr 2015 20:54:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli33926 at http://mtpr.orgFor Europe-Bound Migrants, Desperation Outweighs RisksLatest Mediterranean Incident Highlights Italy's Migrant Crisishttp://mtpr.org/post/latest-mediterranean-incident-highlights-italys-migrant-crisis
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Latest+Mediterranean+Incident+Highlights+Italy%27s+Migrant+Crisis&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA5MTYwMDQ1MDEzMzE1ODcyMjRmY2FlMA004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: <p>I'm Linda Wertheimer. In just the last week, Italy has rescued some 11,000 migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. The unabated migrant crisis was underscored by the arrest of 15 Muslim men charged with religiously-motivated murder.Sat, 18 Apr 2015 11:43:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli33557 at http://mtpr.orgRome's Plan For Prostitutes Upsets Sex Workers And The Catholic Churchhttp://mtpr.org/post/romes-plan-prostitutes-upsets-sex-workers-and-catholic-chuch
On Rome's southern outskirts, EUR is a middle- and upper-middle class neighborhood full of parks and office buildings. With tens of thousands of people coming and going every day, the neighborhood has also become a magnet for prostitutes.<p>This has upset many residents.Thu, 09 Apr 2015 07:29:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli33169 at http://mtpr.orgRome's Plan For Prostitutes Upsets Sex Workers And The Catholic ChurchArchitect Renzo Piano: The Future Of Europe's Cities Is In The Suburbshttp://mtpr.org/post/architect-renzo-piano-future-europes-cities-suburbs
Architect Renzo Piano spends one week a month in his hometown of Genoa, Italy. His house-workshop is perched 300 feet above the Mediterranean Sea and can only be reached by a glass-enclosed funicular that crawls slowly up a steep incline dotted with cypress and olive trees. The airy, multi-story greenhouse workshop buzzes with young architects working on the many Piano projects under way across the world.<p>Piano is one of the world's busiest architects.Tue, 10 Mar 2015 09:08:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli31911 at http://mtpr.orgArchitect Renzo Piano: The Future Of Europe's Cities Is In The SuburbsFor Women's Day, Group Takes A Messge To The Vaticanhttp://mtpr.org/post/womens-day-group-takes-messge-vatican
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=For+Women%27s+Day%2C+Group+Takes+A+Messge+To+The+Vatican&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAxODM0MTAzMDEyMTY4NDEzNjUxZmMzYQ004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: <p>Today is International Women's Day, and the Vatican is opening its doors to a group of women from all over the world pressing for greater participation in the Catholic Church.Sun, 08 Mar 2015 12:23:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli31838 at http://mtpr.orgJames Bond Meets His Match — The Roman Cobblestonehttp://mtpr.org/post/james-bond-meets-his-match-roman-cobblestone
The headline in today's <em>La Repubblica</em> was, "The streets of Rome bring Bond to a standstill — car hits pothole, Craig suffers head injury."<p>The newspaper reported that the accident occurred while actor Daniel Craig, reprising the role of the suave British spy in the 24th James Bond thriller, <em>Spectre,</em> was driving one of the movie's four custom-made Aston Martins on a narrow cobblestone street near the Vatican.<p>Craig reportedly hit his head on the car roof when the speeding vehicle met the irresistible force of a loose <em>sanpietrino,</em> as the Roman cobblestones are knowThu, 26 Feb 2015 17:06:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli31439 at http://mtpr.orgJames Bond Meets His Match — The Roman CobblestoneDutch Soccer Fans Vandalize Rome's La Barcaccia Fountainhttp://mtpr.org/post/dutch-soccer-fans-vandalize-romes-la-barcaccia-fountain
Some 7000 fans of the Rotterdam soccer team Feyenoord are believed to have traveled to Rome for yesterday's Europa League game against AS Roma.<p>The game ended in a draw, 1-1, a needed anticlimax after two days of street battles.<p>On Wednesday, tourists fled and shops hurriedly closed their shutters as Dutch soccer fans took over the central marketplace known as Campo de' Fiori — Field of Flowers — and left it a field of trash.<p>On Thursday the rampage moved to the Spanish Steps.Fri, 20 Feb 2015 16:51:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli31196 at http://mtpr.orgDutch Soccer Fans Vandalize Rome's La Barcaccia FountainWith New Cardinals, Pope Aims To Widen Horizons Of Church Leadershiphttp://mtpr.org/post/pope-welcomes-20-new-cardinals
The Vatican was a sea of red vestments Saturday, as Pope Francis formally elevated <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/04/374967917/pope-francis-announces-20-new-cardinals-from-myanmar-to-mexico">20 new cardinals</a>. In a solemn ceremony known as a consistory, the second in Francis' two-year-old papacy, he presided over nearly the entire College of Cardinals at St.Sat, 14 Feb 2015 13:43:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli30964 at http://mtpr.orgWith New Cardinals, Pope Aims To Widen Horizons Of Church LeadershipPope Encounters Resistance On Some Reformshttp://mtpr.org/post/pope-encounters-resistance-some-reforms
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2015 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Pope+Encounters+Resistance+On+Some+Reforms&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA5Njc0ODg4MDEzNDA5MTE5NDRhNDMzYw004)"/></div><p>Transcript <p>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: <p>When Pope Francis was elected two years ago, he had a mandate from the College of Cardinals: restore credibility to an institution rife with cronyism, corruption and waste. This week, he spent two days with cardinals to discuss reforming the Vatican's central administration.Fri, 13 Feb 2015 21:24:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli30926 at http://mtpr.orgPapal Group Considers Sanctions On Bishops Who Cover Up Abusehttp://mtpr.org/post/papal-group-considers-sanctions-bishops-who-cover-abuse
A commission advising Pope Francis on how to tackle clerical sex abuse of minors has completed its first full meeting at the Vatican.Mon, 09 Feb 2015 10:21:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli30666 at http://mtpr.orgPapal Group Considers Sanctions On Bishops Who Cover Up AbuseDecades After His Murder, An Archbishop Is Put On Path To Sainthoodhttp://mtpr.org/post/decades-after-his-murder-archbishop-put-path-sainthood
Archbishop Oscar Romero was one of the most prominent and controversial religious figures in Latin America when he was gunned down in 1980 during the early stages of El Salvador's civil war.Thu, 05 Feb 2015 21:35:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli30542 at http://mtpr.orgDecades After His Murder, An Archbishop Is Put On Path To SainthoodPope Francis And His Gift For Blending The Spiritual And The Politicalhttp://mtpr.org/post/pope-francis-and-his-gift-blending-spiritual-and-political
In the 21 months since his election, the first pope to take the name of Saint Francis has emerged as a moral leader on the global stage, addressing both Catholics and the world beyond.<p>A recent Pew worldwide survey showed an <a href="http://www.pewglobal.org/2014/12/11/pope-francis-image-positive-in-much-of-world/">overwhelmingly favorable view</a> of the pope.Thu, 25 Dec 2014 08:26:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli28766 at http://mtpr.orgPope Francis And His Gift For Blending The Spiritual And The PoliticalIn A Land Of Few Christians, Pope Will Reach Out To Muslims In Turkeyhttp://mtpr.org/post/land-few-christians-pope-will-reach-out-muslims-turkey
Pope Francis is heading to Turkey for what could be one of the most challenging trips of his young papacy.<p>The three-day visit, which begins Friday, will be a mix of the religious and political, with the pope addressing topics ranging from Christian unity to the worsening plight of Christians in the Muslim-dominated Middle East.<p>While the Catholic and Orthodox churches have been divided since the "Great Schism" nearly a millennium ago, Francis will attend Sunday's celebration of St.Thu, 27 Nov 2014 21:23:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli27737 at http://mtpr.orgIn A Land Of Few Christians, Pope Will Reach Out To Muslims In TurkeyCatholic Synod Highlights Divisions, Sets Stage For Future Battleshttp://mtpr.org/post/surprising-draft-watered-down-report-years-vatican-synod
Over the past few decades, assemblies of Roman Catholic bishops meeting in Rome, known as synods, have been predictable events that have always upheld the viewpoints of the reigning pope.<p>But with the widely popular Pope Francis, nothing is predictable.<p>A two-week-long synod on family issues that wound up this weekend was tumultuous, and the results showed a church deeply divided over how to deal with gays and with divorced and remarried Catholics.<p>Rarely has a synod attracted such attention.Mon, 20 Oct 2014 08:23:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli26137 at http://mtpr.orgCatholic Synod Highlights Divisions, Sets Stage For Future BattlesFor Italy's Gay Rights Advocates, It's 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Backhttp://mtpr.org/post/italys-gay-rights-advocates-its-1-step-forward-2-steps-back
Ancient Rome may have been open to all sorts of sexual mores, but modern Italy is less so. The country lags far behind its European Union partners in guaranteeing equal rights for homosexuals.<p>Gay couples have no legal recognition or adoption rights in Italy, and a bill presented last year outlawing discrimination on the grounds of homophobia has been bogged down in parliament by right-wing opposition.<p>The legislation now faces opposition from a new conservative Catholic movement.Mon, 13 Oct 2014 20:15:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli25891 at http://mtpr.orgFor Italy's Gay Rights Advocates, It's 1 Step Forward, 2 Steps BackIn 'Season Of Mercy,' Will Vatican Rethink Communion For Divorcees?http://mtpr.org/post/season-mercy-will-vatican-rethink-communion-divorcees
Some 200 bishops from around the world are gathered at the Vatican for a two-week assembly to discuss issues related to the family, including artificial contraception, premarital sex and ministering gay unions.<p>But one of the most controversial is a proposal to allow divorced and remarried Catholics to receive Holy Communion — taboo in church doctrine for 2,000 years.<p>In February, Pope Francis tapped one of his favorite theologians, German Cardinal Walter Kasper, to address a meeting of all the cardinals.<p>Kasper argued that the church must show more mercy to people whose first marriages Wed, 08 Oct 2014 22:03:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli25700 at http://mtpr.orgIn 'Season Of Mercy,' Will Vatican Rethink Communion For Divorcees?Vatican Synod Tests The Pope's Vision Of A More Merciful Churchhttp://mtpr.org/post/vatican-synod-tests-popes-vision-more-merciful-church
Pope Francis has summoned bishops from all over the world to Rome to discuss issues concerning families – including hot-button issues like artificial contraception and gay civil unions.<p>The meeting, called a synod, opened on Sunday and is seen as a test of Francis' vision of a more merciful Church.<p>Not since the landmark Second Vatican Council half a century ago has a church meeting raised so much hope among progressive Catholics — and so much apprehension among conservatives.<p>As with every big Vatican meeting, Catholic groups from all over the world have descended on Rome in the hopes oSun, 05 Oct 2014 14:36:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli25545 at http://mtpr.orgVatican Synod Tests The Pope's Vision Of A More Merciful ChurchVatican Arrests One Of Its Own On Child Sex Abuse Chargeshttp://mtpr.org/post/vatican-arrests-one-its-own-child-sex-abuse-charges
<div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Vatican+Arrests+One+Of+Its+Own+On+Child+Sex+Abuse+Charges&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDAwMjkzMDc0MDEyOTc4NzE1ODczNDdhMA004)"/></div><p>Wed, 24 Sep 2014 20:27:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli25120 at http://mtpr.orgItaly Undertakes Lonely, Expensive Mission To Aid Migrants At Seahttp://mtpr.org/post/italy-undertakes-lonely-expensive-mission-aid-migrants-sea
On the outskirts of Rome, far from the coast, there's a top-security compound where Italy is trying to tackle one of Europe's major crises: the rising flows of unauthorized migrants making perilous journeys from North Africa across the Mediterranean.<p>In all of 2011, the year of the Arab uprisings, slightly more than 60,000 migrants arrived by sea in Italy.<p>By mid-August this year, the number surpassed 100,000.<p><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/05/12/311888461/italy-searches-for-african-migrants-after-sinking-in-mediterranean">Reports of migrant boats in distress</a> have Sun, 24 Aug 2014 08:56:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli23791 at http://mtpr.orgItaly Undertakes Lonely, Expensive Mission To Aid Migrants At SeaOver 2 Years Since Its Wreck, The Costa Concordia Floats Againhttp://mtpr.org/post/over-2-years-its-wreck-costa-concordia-floats-again
The Costa Concordia cruise crashed into a reef and capsized in waters off the island of Giglio in Italy over two years ago. On Monday, the most complicated part of the operation to refloat the ship was completed successfully. <div class="fullattribution">Copyright 2014 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.<img src="http://www.google-analytics.com/__utm.gif?utmac=UA-5828686-4&utmdt=Over+2+Years+Since+Its+Wreck%2C+The+Costa+Concordia+Floats+Again&utme=8(APIKey)9(MDA0NjY4NzQ2MDEyOTc4NzIzMThmMjJkMg001)"/></div><p>Mon, 14 Jul 2014 20:15:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli21934 at http://mtpr.orgThis Fine Wine Made At An Italian Penal Colony Is No 2-Buck Chuckhttp://mtpr.org/post/fine-wine-made-italian-penal-colony-no-2-buck-chuck
Eighteen miles off Tuscany's coast, Gorgona is Italy's last island prison. Its steep cliffs rise up from azure Mediterranean waters. Here, a select group of convicts serves the end of long sentences by farming. And now, a legendary winemaker is training them to make high-end wine.<p>Mentioned by Dante in <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8800/8800-h/8800-h.htm">The Divine Comedy</a>, Gorgona was for thousands of years a refuge for hermits and monks.Thu, 10 Jul 2014 22:28:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli21779 at http://mtpr.orgThis Fine Wine Made At An Italian Penal Colony Is No 2-Buck ChuckPope Meets Sex Abuse Victims, Bearing A Plea For Forgivenesshttp://mtpr.org/post/pope-meets-sex-abuse-victims-bearing-plea-forgiveness
Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>At the Vatican today Pope Francis had his first meeting with victims of clergy. He vowed to hold bishops accountable for the protection of children. The meeting came nearly 16 months after Francis was elected. Victim support groups said it was long overdue. For more on this NPR's Sylvia Poggioli joins us from Rome. Hello Sylvia.<p>SYLVIA POGGIOLI, BYLINE: Hello, Robert.<p>SIEGEL: And I understand the Pope held a Mass with these victims, including a dramatic homily.Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:19:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli21582 at http://mtpr.orgThe 1,000-Year-Old Schism That Pope Francis Seeks To Heal http://mtpr.org/post/1000-year-old-schism-pope-francis-seeks-heal
Pope Francis travels this weekend to the Middle East, the cradle of the three monotheistic religions, and will meet with Catholic, Jewish and Muslim leaders.<p>But the official purpose of the visit is to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a historic rapprochement between Catholics and Orthodox and to try to restore Christian unity after nearly 1,000 years of estrangement.<p>Meeting in Jerusalem in 1964, Pope Paul VI and Orthodox Patriarch Athenagoras set a milestone: They started the process of healing the schism between Eastern and Western Christianity of the year 1054.<p>Moves toward closerWed, 21 May 2014 15:52:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli19375 at http://mtpr.orgThe 1,000-Year-Old Schism That Pope Francis Seeks To Heal Pope To Travel To Holy Land With Rabbi And Muslim Leaderhttp://mtpr.org/post/pope-travel-holy-land-rabbi-and-muslim-leader
The first non-European pope in modern history will makes a pilgrimage to the Holy Land this week, a region with centuries of religious strife.<p>Francis — the first pope to take the name of the saint of peace — will carry far less historical baggage than any of his predecessors.<p>When John Paul II visited Israel in 2000, he prayed at the Western Wall and apologized for the church's sins against Jews.Tue, 20 May 2014 07:33:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli19291 at http://mtpr.orgPope To Travel To Holy Land With Rabbi And Muslim LeaderU.N. Panel Could Find Vatican Guilty Of Torturehttp://mtpr.org/post/un-panel-could-find-vatican-guilty-torture
Transcript <p>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: <p>This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. The Vatican got a grilling this past week for its handling of the clerical sex abuse scandal. The setting - a United Nations hearing in Geneva. Meanwhile in Rome, a new advisory board to Pope Francis held its first meeting on the sex abuse crisis.<p>In a moment we'll hear from a member of that board whose personal story of abuse may be hard for some listeners to hear. But first, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports on that U.N.Sun, 11 May 2014 11:36:00 +0000Sylvia Poggioli18886 at http://mtpr.org